.gay Community Spotlight on Rainbow Rose Center

We are thrilled to speak with The Rainbow Rose Center as part of our .gay Community Spotlight series! 

Their commitment to inclusivity, equity, and health for all LGBTQ+ members in York County, Pennsylvania, is inspiring. 

Find out more about their fantastic work in our chat below. 

How would you describe your organization’s mission?

The Rainbow Rose Center fosters an environment of inclusion, equity, and health where all LGBTQIA+ community members thrive in York County, Pennsylvania. We envision an inclusive community where all York County individuals feel safe and welcome in their everyday lives.

Tell us about how that mission is brought to life through your work.

We offer a wide range of programs and services to meet the needs of York County's LGBTQIA+ community. We help them and their families by providing programs, information, and resources to assist in their journey. Our Resource Specialists provide information on, and support for, queer-friendly resources in and around York County. We also help by raising awareness through advocacy, public outreach, events, and media.

What would happen if your organization suddenly did not exist?

The Rainbow Rose Center is the only LGBTQIA+ center in York County, which is a large, mostly rural community in southcentral Pennsylvania. The community relies on the Rainbow Rose Center to connect them to vetted resources, create safe spaces, train businesses and organizations on being better allies, advocate on the community’s behalf, celebrate their existence, and to fight for their rights to exist without fear and discrimination. Without our organization, the community would be isolated and without the necessary resources they need to thrive.

What can people do to get involved and help make sure that never happens?

As an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, we rely on the time, talent, and financial support of our community and allies. Each volunteer adds value to our organization, and we greatly cherish each individual that dedicates time to help our cause. Those who donate to our organization are committed to a better York County that supports the LGBTQIA+ community. Contributions allow the Rainbow Rose Center to coordinate programs and support groups, work with Gay-Straight Alliances in York County schools, allow us to celebrate with our annual events, and provide valuable information to the community on resources available to them and to educate our allies in supporting the community.

Our board is so dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community that every member of the board makes an annual contribution to the Rainbow Rose Center. We believe in the work we do to make everyone, regardless of their identity, welcome, and included!

Why does LGBTQ+ visibility matter to you?

We believe that visibility and healthy representation is what paves the way to a more equitable and just society. LGBTQIA+ people exist, we matter, and we deserve to be seen and celebrated. Whether its in the media or in local role models, it allows others who may be questioning to understand what they are going through, how they might identify, and know that they are not alone.

In your own words, what does “LGBTQ+ safety and support” mean specifically?

Our vision is for all York County LGBTQIA+ individuals feel safe and welcome in their everyday lives. Safety means being able to live at home without fear of rejection and to be able to leave their homes without concern over their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Support is that feeling of being welcome wherever they are and go, that the individual never feels isolated or alone, but part of an inclusive community where they are respected and appreciated.

Who are some of your LGBTQ+ heroes?

There are so many LGBTQIA+ forebears who our board and our community look up to. We appreciate and honor the lives and legacies of those who helped make society a more accepting place for the LGBTQIA+ community. Those folks who faced discrimination because of the intersectionality of their sexual orientations, gender identities, and their racial or ethnic heritages – including Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Bayard Rustin, George Takei, and so many others – are particularly heroic because they advocated for more than themselves but also for other marginalized communities.

If you could give LGBTQ+ youth one message, what would it be?

Your life, your voice, your experiences matter – know that you are worthy of dignity and respect and that you are uniquely perfect as you are in this moment and as you continue to grow into your authentic self.

Tell us about a time when you felt like the work you do at your organization really mattered or made a difference for the communities you serve?

The work we are doing every day matters, whether to the full community we serve or the individual who reaches out today looking for a resource or even just a human connection. Right now, we are helping families being impacted by a discriminatory school policy which harms our gender diverse youth; we are helping them seek legal support while providing emotional support both at the school board meetings and in the moments between. This past June we held our first in-person, county-wide Pride celebration and we had LGBTQIA+ elders as well as youth who said they had never felt more seen and so many who had never attended a Pride event before in their lives, and that definitely made a world of difference to them. We’ve helped gender diverse youth access their first gender-affirming gear and come out wearing the items in tears for the personal affirmation they experienced in that moment.

Anything else you would like to share with the .gay audience?

The work of the Rainbow Rose Center is absolutely necessary for our York County community. We appreciate you reading our story, and we appreciate any support it moves you to give. Even if you cannot support us directly, we ask that you support your closest LGBTQIA+ center, because the work they do impacts people’s lives every day. If you’re not sure where your closest center is, check out the CenterLink website, and if none are near you, consider supporting them as they strengthen, support, and connect LGBTQ community centers across the United States and the world.

Learn more about their work HERE